Chaya from Long Island wrote:

I am shomeret Shabbat, but my family is not (however very respectful). My mother cooked something during Shabbat and plans on serving it later on in the week. May I eat it?

Mordechai Perlman wrote:

What is the Halacha about postings which are written and sent to a discussion group or digest list on Shabbat by a Jew? May another Jew read them?

Dear Chaya and Mordechai,

Food cooked on Shabbat becomes forbidden to the person who cooked it, but for others it is permitted after Shabbat. So in this case, Chaya, your mother is the one who is not allowed to eat the food. I asked Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, shlita, about this and he said that for your mother, even the pot needs to be 'kashered'(cleaned thoroughly, left for 24 hours, and then immersed in boiling water). You, however, can eat the food as soon as Shabbat is over.

If you can do so respectfully - for instance, by offering to help with the cooking - see if your mother would agree to cook after Shabbat. If you can't prevent her without igniting 'flames of discord,' remember that the Torah says, "Don't ignite fire ... on Shabbat."

As for your question, Mordechai, the same rule applies: You can read E-mail after Shabbat which was posted on Shabbat. The writer of the message, of course, would need to 'kasher' his computer (just kidding).

Sources:

• Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 318:1, Mishna Berura 5.

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